ScouseMan

I think brave = stupid in this case! I don't even know if it can be shipped without a visa, I'll look into it and if I can ship it it'll go off to a friends house. Shipping is around 10 - 12 weeks and we are using seven seas as we have used them twice previously for international moves, both times without incidence. We're only shipping seven boxes (4 Book Box (51x41x31cm), 3 Large Box (61x51x41cm) ) they quoted around £360. Not sure if i'll ship them yet though, while I am confident in getting a grant it would be rather embarrassing for the visa to be refused and my shipping to be on its way! However, I would rather be without things in the UK and have them sooner in Aus

Same here, although we're talking about shipping are stuff over soon, in the next week or so. It just seems a little crazy to do it without a grant

Nothing here .... The grants last week raised my hopes for a grant, but looks like they'll be dashed again! Oh well, July will be here before we know it

You only need to provide evidence for employment you wish to be assessed. If you don't wish to be assessed for employment previous to your current job (9 years) then no need to provide evidence.

Hmm, well that's frustrating! But, good to see some movement on the 190s

Congratulations! Get your application in soon and you'll probably be granted a visa with us lot in early July :-)

Surely these people must have been onshore applicants? I'll be rather miffed if not ....

I'm in the same position to you, although I applied a week or so after you did. We've not had any contact from a CO either and certainly understand your impatience!

I did it alone and it's not complicated. The forms are not designed to trip you up, they're tedious but with a bit of care easy enough. Unless you have a complication from medical, criminal history etc. I don't think an agent is necessary. However, I don't have a visa yet so we'll see ...

While I live in hope of a grant email arriving any morning now, we've also 'mostly' resigned ourselves to a July grant. My partner is a Dr. and we've lived in Aus previously on a 457, so she was able to find a job through connections she made in the first trip. They've been pretty good with the delay in the visa.

I think a solicitor is fine and if you search the forum other people have used solicitors successfully in the past. I would definitely get bank and tax statements certified, not sure if the reference needs to be certified but if your friend is willing just get it done. If you don't get some docs certified that your assessor requires, they will simply ask for these and give you time to sort it out, so don't stress about it too much as my communications with Vetassess were helpful and polite.

When I got my docs notarised for Vetassess the notary stamped each document with: "I certify this document to be a true copy of the original sighted by ...." he followed this with a handwritten signature and date, and his name and contact details were also on the stamp. He also crimped each notarised document and I paid a flat fee of £60 for all the docs, but shop around as you may get it cheaper. I went with the Notary as he could do it the same day and I wanted to submit ASAP. Don't forgot pay slips, P60s etc. for proof of employment.

They may hope that you will go into your nominated profession, because they have identified a skill shortage in that area, there is no obligation for you to do so and you are free to take up any profession you wish when you arrive.

Same here, after submitting on the 4th Feb we gave notice to vacate our rental on the 30th April and boxed up all our belongings, my partner agreed to start a new job early May! Luckily the landlord had no one else ready to move in and so on the 29th April we have extended our stay until the end of May, and my partner's new employer are prepared to wait (for now). Still living in hope that we'll get the grant soon :mad:

Processing times are taking longer as the number of visas issued is reaching the cap for this year, but this cap resets at the start of the new administrative year on the 1st July. Some onshore applicants have been granted 190 visas, particularly if they will soon become unlawful due to an expiring visa. If I was you I wouldn't be concerned as I am sure your application will be processed in time.

You will need a sponsor for your profession on the CSOL, but is your profession on the list for state migration allowing you to apply for a PR 190 visa? If your partner is on the SOL, can he not go for the 189 visa and get you both PR that way? Obviously the costs for PR visa are higher and the processing time longer, and it doesn't necessarily help you in the short term, but just a thought.

My partner and I don't have joint bank accounts, it wasn't a problem for our 457 and hopefully wont be a problem for our 190 visa, but we could demonstrate money going back and forward between our individual bank accounts to pay rent etc. and a financial dependency on each other. So for example if one of you pay the rent, but the other buys all the food for the month or pays other bills, be sure to show evidence. I understand your anxiety and it is bad luck that your company went bankrupt and you lost you job. When I was on my 457 visa I hated that my employer had so much power over my life and even though they were V.nice, the fact that they can majorly f**k up your life is too much power for an employer to have over an employee! Definitely glad to be going down the PR route this time? Do you or your partner not have an occupation on the SOL/CSOL?

When we left in 2013 is was to return to the UK permanently, but it wasn't long before we decided to return! Initially my partner was looking for jobs, but there just wasn't anything available and when they did come up they simply were not interested in sponsoring anyone for a 457 visa, instead looking for citizens/PRs. My occupation is on the CSOL and so we went down the state sponsorship route so to get PR and a little more security, plus with a PR visa job hunting would be a great deal easier. The job offer is for my defacto partner and she secured that position through contacts she made when we lived/worked in Aus previously, and it just happened to coincide with our visa, good timing! They were prepared to sponsor us on a 457, but our PR visa should be granted soon (fingers crossed). Historically a relocation package would have been offered for the role, but now nothing is offered and so I guess that shows that they are more reluctant to bring in people from abroad. If you have a home etc. with your current partner in Aus why are you concerned that your defacto application will be refused? When we made our 457 visa application back in 2012 my partner and I were not living together, we lived in different cities because of work, but could show a long and committed relationship and that the separation was only temporary. As long as you can show a committed relationship, you being in the UK and your partner in Aus should not impact your application.

No, I am currently in the UK but waiting for my PR visa to be granted and then I'll be on the first flight back to Aus. I went through the process in 2013 and if you have any questions I will do my best to answer; but with regards to whether your pending 457 visa application will impact your withdrawal application ..... I have no idea.

Nothing here, if you front loaded all required docs then your application may have been looked at but a CO may never contact you. As soon as our visa is granted we'll be on a plane as a job is lined up; the waiting is hard!

Hi, I withdrew my super in 2013 and so my facts may not be up to date. It is up to you to do the research but to answer your question based on my out of date information ..... No you will not have to pay it back; your super is yours to claim once you have departed Australia and your visa either expires or is cancelled. Once you no longer have a valid temporary visa, and around 3 months have passed, your superfund will transfer the balance to the Aus government for 'safe keeping', but it does not earn any interest once they have their mits on it! If you were planning on leaving Aus permanently, like I was planning in 2013, and are a long way from claiming your pension it makes sense to take the tax hit and repatriate it to the UK. Your superfund or the government (depends upon who actually has your money now) will process your withdrawal and pay the money into your bank account, but minus the 35 - 40 % tax. The total amount of tax you pay depends on salary sacrifice arrangements you made on your super payments. My superfund took around 2 weeks to process the payment, but the wait to cancel my 457 visa after I returned to the UK was around 10 weeks, so keep this in mind for your timeframe. If/when you return you simply open up another superfund and start again. Because of the 35 - 40 % tax that will be levied on your super withdrawal you would probably pay much less interest on a loan in the UK than the tax you will pay on your super. I am sure you have thought through the repercussions of withdrawing your pension fund, just be sure that you know the facts upon how it will impact your income come the time you want to claim a pension. Best of luck!

I don't know if your visa application will be a factor or not and so sorry I can't answer your question. Just wanted to point out, incase you don't know, that you will be taxed when you withdraw your super. Good luck with your return to Aus.

Same here, still nothing! We had hoped to be flying out in the next week or two

When I got a 457 my employer paid for everything, visa, medicals and relocation expenses. Later, my partner was offered a 457 by Queensland health and they would not pay for the visa and offered no relocation package. Your employed pays for your nomination and must pay for return flights to repatriate you, and all people named on the visa, to your home country when you leave; anything else is discretionary and open to negotiation. Good luck!

A measure of scepticism is good; however, you are young enough to throw caution to the wind and go for it. I secured a 457 visa in 2012 before graduating and still being in the UK from a job advertised on seek.com.au; had a blast living in Brisbane for 15 months. A friend of mine recently went out on a WHV, found a job in his field and is now being sponsored for a 457. He is in the computer games industry, but he did have a few years work experience in the UK first. You're young, enthusiastic and if you work hard out there I think you could make it happen. Worst case scenario, your dreams don't come to fruition but you have great time living and working in Melbourne and you make loads of contacts in your relevant fields. Good luck!